Sunday, September 14, 2014

For my birthday I made the most delicious cake ever (hint, it was flour less so none of the flavor was diluted). I'll post more on that later. But I ended up with 6 extra egg yolks. In looking for something to do with them, I came up with a great idea: sabayon. This recipe from David Lebovitz seemed like a good call: simple and from a trusted source. So at my birthday party, I whipped up a batch and had a friend who was coming late bring (and cut up) strawberries. It was great! And it's a cool party trick. I don't have any pretty bowls, but I served it in wine glasses and it was pretty and super classy. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

So while I am no longer a graduate student, I am going to complete this blog with recipes I made while I was still in graduate school. I am thinking about creating a new blog, I am taking recommendations for names :). While my situation has changed somewhat, it is still true that I face situations that aren't addressed by a lot of blogs: I still have a tiny kitchen, I am still cooking for one or for company, but rarely for 3-4. And I am basically vegetarian, but not strictly. I try to make healthy changes to a lot of things, but I avoid things like stevia. However, I'll be playing with chia seeds for a while.

As for the recipe: per the suggestion of a friend, I discovered that chocolate chip cookies should ALWAYS be made with browned (and cooled) butter. It imparts a caramel-y, nutty, richer flavor. (And pecans and a sprinkling of sea salt really round it out). So I found blondies that were made this way. I made these while I was preparing to move over the summer and trying to use up the things i had in my cupboard (in particular, I had a Costco bag of brown sugar and vanilla with a broken cap). The original recipe is here, I really only doubled it and added toffee pieces, but I think it made them excellent and there were plenty to share!

Ingredients

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup chopped toffee pieces

Procedures

1

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease pan with butter.

2

Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted. Continue to cook (the butter will foam) until it is fragrant and a nutty brown color. Take off the heat and pour through a sieve into a large bowl. Let cool to room temperature.

3

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

4

Add brown sugar to bowl with butter and whisk until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and whisk to combine. Stir in dry ingredients until just incorporated. Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 20-30 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.

About Me

Being a grad student gives me some cooking challenges that aren't usually tackled by any sorts of culinary advice columns. I cook for one and have limited freezer space. I'm on a budget, but I don't want to eat like a college student (while I love pasta and eggs, I don't want to eat them for every meal). I like to get creative with what I cook, but often find myself sticking by old staples. I also work very hard to eat healthy, balanced meals, but this too can be hard with a crowded refrigerator.
On the other hand, I do other things. One important one is study. I've created a second blog for my own purposes of learning algebraic geometry and topology as well as the material that will be on my comprehensive exams. You probably don't want to read this one and I don't blame you.